No Cottage Cheese Please! Omni (Day 7 Level 1)

A good TAM friend of mine was just telling me that her results were taken to a new level when she started doing her workouts in a heated room. She jacks her thermostat up to 87 degrees and after regular workouts in a sweltering apartment, all of the sudden she noticed that the cottage cheese on her thighs was disappearing. Brilliant. I don't think my man would appreciate higher electric bills than we already have, so I opted for an alternative. I have the benefit of a huge backyard with a pool and patio that is completely private, so I can take advantage of the (still 90 degree) early September heat. Mid-day at the height of the humid, sticky heat, I hauled my laptop and DVD's, 3 pound weights, yoga mat, and full length mirror to the concrete area next to the pool and started Day 6 of my Level 1 Omni workout. Everything was going swimmingly (no pun intended) until I looked up at the mirror to check my form. What the....I looked closer. There was no denying it. There was more cottage cheese revealed in the harsh light of day than the entire dairy section of Publix. I forced myself to watch my cottage cheesey dimpled skin as I contorted myself into the various mat exercises. I was actually relieved when it started to rain and I was forced to move my workout inside-- and into the more forgiving light of my basement. I managed to get through the whole 30 minutes of MS, then powered through all of Dance Cardio '08. That is still my favorite cardio video!

Food started out well--- I've been cooking up a storm for company this week, so when I made a Mexican egg casserole with Chorizo and Cheddar cheese yesterday morning, I only had a small portion which I didn't even finish. Snacked on watermelon after my workout. Dinner was not as disciplined. I made my Bourbon BBQ chicken wings with onion rings, Man salad (a hot dressing made with sour cream, blue cheese, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and bacon!) and blackened shrimp on corn bread. I didn't have the salad (probably the unhealthiest element of the dinner!) but did indulge in the wings (3) (although they are baked) and the shrimp/cornbread. Only a couple onion rings. Then, added insult to injury by topping it off with a big bowl of low fat Reeses Peanut Butter cup ice cream with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. OH, and lest we forget, the, uh, bottle of red that I polished off during the feast. In the midst of food/wine/ice cream stuffed guilt, I hoped that atleast the workout might have neutralized the damage done!

This morning, feeling a bit groggy from a food coma and the 1 mg xanex, provided by my favorite houseguest, I stepped on the scale, hoping that it didn't budge past 165!!!! Relief when the scale read 160. Maybe these last 2 days of workouts have made more of a difference than I thought they would!

Also, took pics (after my workout, before the gourmet gorge-- and note: not in the hideous cottage cheese revealing daylight!) In general, I do feel slightly firmer everywhere, even if I'm still 20 pounds heavier than my goal weight. I am really ready to get through these first 10 days. I've started and stopped this level atleast 4 times, so it will be a triumph to officially move on the days 11-20!